Blind will know what money they have
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Sevim Songün
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Aralık 31, 2008 00:00
ISTANBUL - For an ordinary person, the size or shape of money might not make a difference, however for blind people, it matters.
Blind people in Turkey from Jan. 1 will have a request they have made for decades fulfilled, they will be able to recognize the new banknotes that will be introduced at the beginning of the new year.
"Everyone knows how much a banknote is worth, so why should I not," wrote Osman Baylan, on the Web site www.paramitanimakistiyorum.com (I want to know what money I have).
A campaign called the "YTL initiative" in 2005 raised the issue of blind people recognizing banknotes when the new Turkish lira, or YTL, went into circulation. The people behind the initiative contacted Central Bank officials to request banknotes in different sizes, a request that was accepted by the officials.
Turkey will start using the Turkish Lira once again from Jan. 1, as the Y in the YTL, the "new" of the New Turkish Lira, will be dropped. Turkey shredded its money in 2005 by dropping six zeros and put the Y in the YTL. By Jan. 1, the Y will be removed from the currency. However, YTL notes will remain in circulation for a while.
"The new TL was introduced in a meeting with Durmuş Yılmaz, the head of Turkey’s Central Bank. The size of the notes will be parallel to their value," said Bülent Kelleci, the head of the Association of Blind, or GÖZDER. So the new TL 10 note will be 6 millimeters larger than the TL 5 note.
Printing banknotes in different sizes is not difficult, but blind people’s requests have not been taken into account until now. "The U.S. dollar is not suitable for blind people. The dollar is common around the world and they have not reprinted their money in different sizes. But, despite the fact that the lira has been reprinted several times, changes have not taken our needs into account until now," Kelleci told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
Braille printing not useful
"Braille printing on banknotes has been used several times, but it is useless, even Braille on coins is removed over time," said Kelleci, and added the best solution was the easiest one: different sized notes.
The Central Bank also produced a small plastic device called a money measure or money meter that will be distributed to blind people through associations for the blind and Central Bank offices in cities. The device easily identifies money and lets the holder know its value, according to Suha Sağlam, Chairman of Altı Nokta Association for the Blind, the name of the association refers to the Braille alphabet designed for the blind. Sağlam, also blind, said this improvement was good but it had come very late for blind people in Turkey.
"I am blind and I am a merchant. You cannot imagine how difficult it is for us not to know what money we have, we have to ask other people for help," said Kelleci, and added that identifying money without the help of others would give freedom to blind people.
Self-confidence
Blind people lose self-confidence and feel insecure when shopping or paying taxi drivers when they do not know what money they have.
"Once a taxi driver cheated me and took an extra YTL 4 from me, but that was all," wrote Erkan Polat on the Web site. Blind people have found an alternative to this problem. "I count my money before I go out," said Polat, however, that does not work when I get change back.
"Everyone knows how much a banknote is worth, so why should I not," wrote Osman Baylan, on the Web site www.paramitanimakistiyorum.com (I want to know what money I have).
A campaign called the "YTL initiative" in 2005 raised the issue of blind people recognizing banknotes when the new Turkish lira, or YTL, went into circulation. The people behind the initiative contacted Central Bank officials to request banknotes in different sizes, a request that was accepted by the officials.
Turkey will start using the Turkish Lira once again from Jan. 1, as the Y in the YTL, the "new" of the New Turkish Lira, will be dropped. Turkey shredded its money in 2005 by dropping six zeros and put the Y in the YTL. By Jan. 1, the Y will be removed from the currency. However, YTL notes will remain in circulation for a while.
"The new TL was introduced in a meeting with Durmuş Yılmaz, the head of Turkey’s Central Bank. The size of the notes will be parallel to their value," said Bülent Kelleci, the head of the Association of Blind, or GÖZDER. So the new TL 10 note will be 6 millimeters larger than the TL 5 note.
Printing banknotes in different sizes is not difficult, but blind people’s requests have not been taken into account until now. "The U.S. dollar is not suitable for blind people. The dollar is common around the world and they have not reprinted their money in different sizes. But, despite the fact that the lira has been reprinted several times, changes have not taken our needs into account until now," Kelleci told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review.
Braille printing not useful
"Braille printing on banknotes has been used several times, but it is useless, even Braille on coins is removed over time," said Kelleci, and added the best solution was the easiest one: different sized notes.
The Central Bank also produced a small plastic device called a money measure or money meter that will be distributed to blind people through associations for the blind and Central Bank offices in cities. The device easily identifies money and lets the holder know its value, according to Suha Sağlam, Chairman of Altı Nokta Association for the Blind, the name of the association refers to the Braille alphabet designed for the blind. Sağlam, also blind, said this improvement was good but it had come very late for blind people in Turkey.
"I am blind and I am a merchant. You cannot imagine how difficult it is for us not to know what money we have, we have to ask other people for help," said Kelleci, and added that identifying money without the help of others would give freedom to blind people.
Self-confidence
Blind people lose self-confidence and feel insecure when shopping or paying taxi drivers when they do not know what money they have.
"Once a taxi driver cheated me and took an extra YTL 4 from me, but that was all," wrote Erkan Polat on the Web site. Blind people have found an alternative to this problem. "I count my money before I go out," said Polat, however, that does not work when I get change back.